


Another path

by Sousukaio98



Category: Rockman Megamix | Mega Man Megamix, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate route, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dr. Cossack needs a hug, During Megaman 7, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, Megamix au, Mentions of heavy topics, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prosthetics, Psychological Torture, Recovery, Scars, Torture, give him hugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-02-19 01:44:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22436515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sousukaio98/pseuds/Sousukaio98
Summary: The year is 20XX, the nefarious Dr Albert Wily has been put to jail. All has been peaceful, at least that's what the world thinks. A strange man appears out of nowhere, and he wants revenge.This story was written by Sousu/Clus and I
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. A visitor filled with revenge

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in the Megamix/Gigamix universe after the events of Megaman 6 and the Greatest Enemy In History with Wily actually having been arrested instead of nearly being killed by Mega Man. The Grim Reaper of Resurrection arc never happened due to Dr Cossack being gone, thus Skull Man did’t get put away which is why he’s here. Anyways, please enjoy.

The year was 20XX, Dr Albert Wily is now in jail. Kalinka sighed as she held in her hands a photo of her, her brothers and her father, Dr Mikhail Sergeyevich Cossack. Wily is gone now, but at a cost. At least, in her opinion.

"There's no use dwelling on the past now, Father is gone... Forever..." She told herself as she sadly placed the photo back where it belongs. She then noticed one of the her late father's eldest creation Bright Man running past her. Curious, she followed him to the door where a mysterious human stood in the hallway. He was wearing a brown coat with orange brown hair tied to a loose ponytail and green eyes alongside a few scars on his face. He looks very familiar but Kalinka doesn't know why.

"H-hello, can I help you?" Bright Man asks to which the man smiled kindly and asks, "Hello, is it alright if I come in?"

"Sure, go ahead." Kalinka said, motioning her robotic brother to move as the man came in. He seemed very friendly but they can't be too sure. They both gave each other an unsure glance before Bright Man bravely spoke up, "E-excuse me but, who are you?"

"What do you mean? You know me, it's me." The man said, confused. Kalinka shook her head, "No, we don't know you. We never met you before, so who are you and why are you here?"

At that moment, Kalinka and Bright Man could see something shatter in the man's eyes. As if a last spark of hope died out. His hands were shaking, making Bright Man motion for Kalinka to take a step back, afraid of what's happening.

"So you don't recognise me?..." The man spoke up in a shaky voice, one filled with rage and pain and before anyone knew it Kalinka and Bright Man screamed as a ball of a mace slams down in front of them. Bright Man hugs his human sister out of absolute fear, "S-sir-"

"I'LL MAKE YOU REMEMBER THEN!!!!!!!" The man instead roared before swinging his mace again. The two screamed and ran away as fast as possible to the other DCNs and get help. They both have no idea what has gotten into the man but it's clear that they can't stop him on his own. Thankfully, their brother Skull Man was right around the corner.

"Skull Man help!" Kalinka screamed as the youngest robot whipped his head around, eyes widening for a split second before bullets fly by Kalinka and Bright Man, cratering into the floor just inches away from the man. Skull Man's eyes were now narrow, filled with unknown emotion as he stepped forward in front of the two. "I have no idea what has gotten into you sir but it's best that you surrender. Now."

There was a flash of hurt in the man's eyes, causing brief confusion to the Cossack bot when his brothers barged into the scene.

"What's going on?! We heard gunshots!" Dive Man yelped in shock as Ring Man came out from behind. His demeanour was calm, yet wary as he spoke in a commanding voice, "You are surrounded sir. Drop the weapon or we will have to forcefully restrain you."

The man's upper body slumped down like a ragged doll, body trembling as his grip on his mace tightened. Then, laughter. Loud, maniacal, chilling, broken laughter erupted and echoed throughout the room. It all came from the man himself, eyes filled with insanity. "YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!!!!!!!!"

"What's so funny!?" Ring Man dared to ask, tightening his grip on his rings when the man turned to him, tears streaming down his face decorated with an absolute broken look. "F-for a detective, YOU SURE AS HELL AIN'T SMART!!!!!!!!!!"

Time seemed to sped up during that time. It all happened so quickly, one moment the man was surrounded—

The next Ring Man was lying on the ground, spazzing out electricity as he deactivates, the man standing in front of his body with his mace stretched out. The first to react was Drill Man, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO RING?!?!?!?!?!?!"

"DOES IT MATTER?!?!?!?!?!?! I'LL DESTROY EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!" The man bellowed as he lunged forward.

And a massacre has begun.

Kalinka screamed as the mace slammed into the wall with Bright Man shielding her from any potential danger. It was utter chaos with the man laughing as he swung his mace around, trying to hit the others.

"Bright Man, take Kalinka to safety and call the police!" Toad Man yelped as he barely dodged the mace's swing.

"B-but-" Bright Man weakly protests, only to lose the battle and retreat, grabbing Kalinka's hand as they ran to their father's lab. Once they were there Bright Man got to work in calling the police while Kalinka had another plan in store. She goes over to the phone and punches in its numbers as fast as she could, the phone rang a few times before it finally picked up, and it was then that she yelped, "Please Dr Light, we need Mega Man's help!"

Mega Man appeared in the lab's teleportation chamber soon after the call ended, armed and ready as he approached Kalinka and asked, "What happened?"

"O-our brothers, there's s-some man with a mace attacking them!! H-he, he got Ring Man!" Kalinka explained through tears and that was all Mega Man needed to hear before he stormed off to confront the man, ignoring the siblings' cries calling for him. He isn't going to let another one of them die, not after what happened to Dr Cossack! The thought of the Russian scientist washes a wave of guilt over him, eyes dropping with sadness before a spark of a flame reignites and allows him to march forward.

_'Ever since that day, I wasn't able to save him...!'_ He thought as he ran as fast as he could, _'This time... I won't let anyone die!'_

"STOP!!!!" The combat robot yelled as he bursts into the scene, his eyes widening in horror at what was before him. Toad Man, Ring Man, Dive Man and Dust Man all lie deactivated, not one of them showed any signs of harm yet the room was utterly trashed beyond recognition. Pharaoh Man and Skull Man were huddled to a corner, exhausted and the man loomed over them all, bullet holes and smoke stained his coat. He turned to Mega Man, giving a crazed smile that sent chills down the blue bomber's robotic spine but eyes full of sadness that makes him wonder what the man was truly feeling. He spoke, "Even you don't recognize me."

"What are you talking about?" Mega Man asks, baffled. Then it clicked. He did recognise this man, but he doesn't know where. He ran a quick scan with his memory drive to see where he had seen this man before.

There was a beep, he has a match, but the result was far from what he was expecting.

"D- Dr Cossack?..." He barely managed to stutter out. Shock, relief, sadness, anger, frustration, surprise and horror clashed violently in his head like a raging typhoon. Pharaoh Man and Skull Man were in the same predicament, only with more chaotic emotions flooding their heads as all eyes fell on the laughing man. "FINALLY!!!!!! Someone, FINALLY recognised me!"

"Dr Cossack, what are you doing?! We thought you were dead!" Pharaoh Man finally exclaimed, his voice slightly wavering at the last word of his sentence. Dr Cossack however laughed some more, swinging his mace with ease. "I thought we could have a little family reunion but since no one recognized me, I scrapped that idea!"

"And that's why you decide to attack your own creations?! Your own daughter?!" Skull Man yelled, furious but Dr Cossack shot him a deathly cold glare and said with an empty voice, "Oh, so it's inexcusable to attack the people who left me for dead, let me taken by that son of a bastard, pretended I was dead and forgot about me because they're my so called 'family'? Oh charm, I guess I'm the monster now."

"Wh-what?! Dr Cossack, they are your family! Please snap out of it-" Mega Man exclaimed, worry overtaking him when Dr Cossack suddenly roared wildly with laughter. Mega Man, Pharaoh Man and Skull Man were confused, shocked, horrified and worried all at the same time, like a sick blend of emotions poured into them. After what felt like forever, the laughter died down and Dr Cossack spoke once more, "There's no point now. Everything is gone!! I only have one thing left to do now."

With a snap, the wall exploded out as everything and everyone got flung back. There were sickening noises of concrete breaking and metal colliding with a terrifying bang. Outside was a giant aircraft with eight unfamiliar robot masters standing right at the open dropout. Dr Cossack however has shed his coat, replacing it with a white tattered lab coat with it's sleeves ripped off, allowing him to show his cybernetic arms that covered his entire arms and shoulders. His deep blue turtleneck shirt had a yellow arrow pointing to the left as a black and orange tipped belt was wrapped around his waist. His entire legs were also cybernetic with black knee length ceratanium-like boots to top it all off. He had a wide smile on his face as he jumped and landed perfectly onto the aircraft.

"WAIT!!!!!" Mega Man yelped, running over to catch them only for him to be too late as the aircraft lifts up, making him unable to go after them. Just as they leave, Dr Cossack looks down, and made his announcement.

"Starting here on out, the New Cossack Numbers and I will get revenge on the man who started it all, Albert Wily! Since you obviously won't tell me which prison he's located at, we'll just have to find him ourselves! Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to anyone but Wily will pay for everything that he did to me and everyone else who fell victim to that monster's schemes!!! I'll have his head, just you wait and don't try to stop me! I'LL KILL THAT BASTARD WILY, EVEN IF I HAVE TO FIGHT WHOEVER STANDS IN MY WAY!!!!!!!!!!"


	2. (1.5) Dr Mikhail Sergeyvich Cossack [Post kidnapping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A profile on Dr Mikhail Sergeyvich Cossack, art by Sousu/Clus

Dr Cossack was a Russian scientist and the Father of Kalinka Cossack alongside being responsible for building the Cossack Numbers. After unwillingly assisting Dr Wily in order to save his kidnapped daughter and being defeated by Mega Man, the citadel collapsed thanks to one of Dr Wily's explosives going off which in turn caused Dr Cossack's disappearance and was presumed to be dead. Years later, Dr Cossack returned, this time with his New Cossack Numbers and declared that he would kill Dr Wily. Dr Cossack is now a hollow shell of his old self, having been experimented and tortured by Dr Wily to the brink of insanity. His prosthetic arms and legs are heavily weaponized, on par with Skull Man's weaponry. He built the mace himself, something he normally would never consider doing. However, his emotions seemed to clash together often which becomes a concern on whether or not he is alright.


	3. Chapter 2: The interrogation and secrets revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every action has a consequence, some consequences take longer time to notice. However, every consequence always traced back to the very action that started it all.

It didn't take long until Dr Light came to help Bright Man repair his brothers with Roll coming to help comfort the family from that shocking reveal. Kalinka was silent, tears welling up in her eyes as she tried desperately to stay strong, whilst Bright Man was more terrified than anything, stuck in a spiral of confusion, pain and horror. They saw through the cameras how the mystery man turned out to be their once deceased father and they have no idea on what to say or think. However it's understandable for them to be feeling such a whirlpool of emotions, up until now they all thought that Dr Cossack was dead but seeing him alive, broken and saying those words with no remorse, there's that lingering feeling of shock and guilt floating around in the silent atmosphere.

"It appears that their systems have been short-circuited by a massive electrical shock from that mace. Since they suffered no damage they can be reactivated soon." Dr Light informed, hoping to lighten the mood, but it didn't help as much as he wished it did.

"None of my brothers suffered any damage, they were just harmlessly deactivated... My father h-held himself back… H-he didn't intend to hurt them, o-or any of us at all despite his violent actions or intentions...." Kalinka suddenly said as her tears rolled down her cheeks, sobbing as she brought her knees to her chest, her armour now cracked into pieces to reveal her emotionally vulnerable form. "S-so why?.. Wh-why did h-he do all this? Wh-why did he come to us a-and then declare that he'll k-kill Wily?.."

There was no answer at first, the others having completely gone lost in thought. However Roll stepped forward to comfort Kalinka and attempts to answer her question, "I don't know, but if anything, we know that Wily has something to do with this."

"He wishes to kill Dr Wily, and will do so with the help of his New Cossack Numbers..." Pharaoh Man recalled with a sigh, his voice full of aching dread as Skull Man slams his fist to the wall and yells with utter frustration, his metal fist leaving a small crater in its wake. "What the hell is he thinking?!"

"I don't know..." Mega Man sighed solemnly, he felt lost on what to do. On one hand, he has to stop Dr Cossack and the New Cossack Numbers from committing murder but on the other hand, he doesn't want to hurt the man he felt close to, the man whom he considers as a dear friend, not just to him but to his sister and creator as well. He doesn’t want to hurt the man whose family still loves and cares about him, despite what he may think otherwise.

"W-we didn't even recognize our own creator, how could we call ourselves a part of his family?..." Bright Man sobbed as Kalinka took her brother into a hug to comfort him, to let him know that he’s not alone in this. Skull Man clenched his fist as he reminisced what Dr Cossack had said, feeling a chill down his metal spine as he recalled the cold and empty stare the doctor gave him. However, after digging deep into all that malice and barren coldness, he discovered not an insane scientist out for revenge but rather a broken and helpless soul. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they had just recognized Dr Cossack and talked instead of lighting the wrath of a fragile man who was moments away from breaking, if they didn't have to fight at all; perhaps he wouldn’t have declared to kill Wily. However, that train of thought had to come to a halt when Dr Light announced, "The others are reactivating now."

Everyone turned to see the five Cossack Numbers reactivating one by one, each getting up as they looked around in confusion, oblivious to what went on during the confrontation. Toad Man was the first to ask, "What happened?"

It was then that they realised that someone has to break the news to them, to tell them everything they have missed and the painful truth behind the man's identity. Seeing as how no one was in the right state to do such a thing, Dr Light took it upon himself to carry the burden, "You were all deactivated after coming into contact with that mace, even if it was a light tap it was enough to short circuit and deactivate you five."

"Then what about the man?! Did you guys apprehend him?" Dive Man asked to which Dr Light sighed sadly, shaking his head, "No. I'm afraid that he got away but... He did declare that he and The New Cossack Numbers would find Dr Wily to kill him."

The dreaded quietness filled the room as the pieces fell into place for the once unconscious robots. They all knew what that meant, but they could never bring themselves to admit it. Only then did Dust Man finally speak up in a trembling voice and say what’s on all their minds, "You mean to say... That man from before, was Dr Cossack?"

"Impossible! He died! D-don't mess with us! His body got crushed by the collapsing citadel thanks to Wily!" Drill Man yelped, he was in complete denial, there was no way for the man who was presumed dead for so long to be the attacker. However, Bright Man’s apologetic look towards them and what he said shatters that claim, "It's unfortunately the truth… E-everyone here knows very well that Mikhail’s body was never found in the citadel’s rubble, a-add that to his sudden appearance an-and… It’s possible that Wily kidnapped Mikhail without us knowing."

"So, we were fighting, our creator who we thought was dead the whole time?" Toad Man asks shakily to which Dr Light reluctantly nods and says, "Unfortunately yes. I do not know why Mikhail chose to go as far as to commit murder, but it’s clear that something happened to him while he was in Wily’s captivity that made him to who he is today."

"He doesn't seem to know where Dr Wily is being held, so we should have time to find him before he finds Dr Wily." He added when Ring Man suddenly stood up and began to walk out, finally speaking up as he approached the door, "Good, that's more than enough time."

"Where... Are you going?" Dust Man asks quietly to which Ring Man gave a glance and a short answer before he left, "I'm getting answers."

Albert Wily sat on his chair in the interrogation room with the only sounds coming from the clanking of his heavy handcuffs that chained his wrists. He has been waiting for this interrogation he was called into for some time now, it’s starting to get a little boring. He wondered when his robot masters would break him out of this poor excuse of a prison when the door opened to reveal a surprising familiar face.

“Well well, if it isn’t Dr Cossack’s little cop bot, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Dr Wily asks, hiding his surprise. Why was Ring Man of all people here?

Ring Man glared at Dr Wily and said with venom in his voice box, “Actually, I’m here to ask about Dr Cossack himself.”

“Why do you want to know? He’s dead-“ Dr Wily asked only to be cut off by his own yelp when the detective split up his chair in half with his own ring before marching over to grab the old scientist up by the shirt collar so that they’re face to face. Ring Man glared daggers into Dr Wily’s shocked and confused eyes, he was furious.

“Listen here, unless you want to be dead you better tell me the truth. I can’t hurt you, but Dr Cossack can. He’s alive. He came to the citadel and short circuited the five of us before telling us of how he plans to kill you. So tell me the truth because your life does depend on it. What. Did. You. Do. To. Him.” The Detective growled, tightening his grip on the fabric that belonged to Wily’s prison outfit. He really doesn’t care about this mad scientist or how terrified he might be at the moment, his only person of concern is his father and what happened during those three years when he was gone.

“Alright, alright I’ll talk so put me down already!” Dr Wily gives in as he struggles against the robot’s grip, making Ring Man drop Dr Wily, not caring if he got hurt. The man barely lands on his feet before stumbling back down on his chair. With a deep breath, almost like a groan, Dr Wily revealed the truth. “The thing is, Mikhail survived that explosion at the citadel but he was badly wounded so being the generous man that I am, I saved him.”

“More like you kidnapped him.” Ring Man corrected with a growl to which Dr Wily dismisses, “Think of it however you like.”

“Anyways, after I took him back to the fortress, a thought occurred to me; If I had someone as smart as Mikhail working under me, I would be able to take over the world and to take things even further, he could act as a fake Wily for me and take the fall just in case. So-“ Wily explained before he suddenly stopped and remained silent, his eyebrows furrowed as if he’s lost in thought. Ring Man’s eyes narrowed down before he edged on, “So?”

“So I experimented and tortured him to make him bend to my will… It didn’t work out well and was unfortunately unsuccessful..” The scientist reluctantly admits and Ring Man could feel himself snap ten times over. Every bit of code in him was screaming at him to kill the man right now or find a way to contact Dr Cossack so that he could kill the bastard himself but the Laws of Robotics held him back. As much as he wanted to pummel the man into nothing but a ball of flesh, the combat robot knew better than to dig two graves.

Cool your circuits.

In and out.

The calming noise of the whirring fans in his systems eased his mind before he realised that he slammed his fists onto the table, creating deep dents in its metal surface and made Wily backed away from him as much as possible. It was sort of satisfying to see the doctor being scared of him, but he needs to get back on track.

“You mean to tell me that you kidnapped and tortured my creator?” Ring Man couldn’t stop the venom coming out from his voice but he doesn’t give a crap about it. “And you experimented on him, broke him down emotionally and psychologically, just so that he would bend to your will and be your clone?!”

“Yes and even I admit, I definitely went too far on that…” Wily admits with guilt in his tone which caught Ring Man off guard. Was Wily feeling guilty for his actions? No, that can’t be, this was an evil world terrorising scientist he’s talking to! Nonetheless, Wily looked away and glared at the wall, “I got carried away and now, he’s after me.”

“After what you put him through, he has every right to be…” Ring Man growled and then sighed, rubbing the cool metal surface on his head, the strange, insane and outright unsettling behaviour of his creator now having some sense in this gear turning puzzle. He would’ve questioned him more on what he did but there are currently more pressing matters at stake. “Did Dr Cossack build any robot masters while you held him hostage?”

“No, I only locked him up in his cell and kept him there even after my arrest.” Wily answered, eyes furrowed once again in confusion before he jolted up, hands slammed onto the table and chains rattling loudly at his sudden movement, the chair falling down behind him as he yelped, “SHIT! The lab!”

“What about the lab?” Ring Man questioned, pressing onwards to which Wily didn’t hesitate to explain. “I built four robot masters that I kept stored in my lab to break me out of jail after six months. Cossack must’ve found them and stolen them from me!”

Ring Man’s eyes widened at this revelation. Never mind the fact that Wily was planning to break out of jail, now Dr Cossack got four dangerous combat heavy robots by his side. That does beg the question of who those other four robot masters are but he would have to question that later. “What are their names?”

“DWN-049-52, Freeze Man, Junk Man, Burst Man and Cloud Man. I was planning to build more robot masters but I was only able to build those four before getting sent to jail.” Wily answered and that’s all Ring Man needed to hear. Alright then, he got some names. That’s good, there’s some progress, it might not be much but it’ll do.

“Alright, that should be it. Looks like some charges need to be updated, thank you for your cooperation.” Ring Man said, his words of thanks hollow and devoid of meaning. He was about to go and order the police bots stationed outside to take Wily back to his cell when the bastard scientist suddenly said, “Get me a piece of paper and pen.”

“Excuse me?” Ring Man glared at the man who now remained calm and said, “You heard me, get me a piece of paper and pen, it’s not like it’ll hurt anyone.”

Ring Man was cautious from Wily’s sudden request but he obliged, handing him his pen and a piece of paper from his notebook but not without a warning, “Don’t try anything funny.”

Wily rolled his eyes and quickly scribbled down on the piece of paper before shoving them back at Ring Man. Before the detective could ask, Wily cuts him off with a brief explanation, “The paper contains the coordinates to where my boys are alongside a note I left to tell them that they have to help you bots. I’ll leave the explaining to you.”

“Why are you giving me this?” Ring Man questioned, this whole thing screamed suspicious. Wily didn’t hesitate to explain once again, “You’re going after those robots that I built and most likely modified by Mikhail. With those facts in mind, you’ll need all the power you and that pesky blue bomber can get. My boys will listen to what I say so they won’t betray you, think of it as a temporary truce until this whole thing blows over. Besides—“

Wily took a deep breath. “I started this, the least I can do is try and fix it.”

Ring Man was aghast. He never thought he’d live to see the day where Wily would actually try and rectify what he did. Maybe it could be because his life was on the line or he genuinely regrets his actions and wishes to fix it. Either way, the detective robot won’t let this opportunity go to waste. With a nod, he turned back towards the exit. “That’ll be all, thank you for your cooperation. You will be escorted back to your cell now.”

This time, Ring Man has a little gratitude for Wily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for this chapter taking so long to upload and I also apologised for taking so long for the chapter of On Thin Ice to upload. I’ve been having Writers block for a while, I hope this chapter is good enough for you, I promise that I’ll upload the chapter for On Thin Ice as soon as I can.


	4. Attack whilst in alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life does whatever it pleases, one moment it is causing chaos, the next you are talking peacefully to the enemy.

Quiet was an unusual way to describe Wily’s island, peaceful was an even more stranger way.

The second and third liners used this rare opportunity to allow themselves the day off; there were no plans on attacking the city with their creator currently in jail. Days turned into weeks and eventually, they knew that their vacation had to come to an end.

“We should break Dr Wily out of jail and resume back to our duties.” Quick Man said, Shadow Man nodded in agreement when the alarm went off, shocking the both of them even if Quick Man never showed it. Intruders? How? The island should have been hidden from the rest of the world, no one but Dr Wily and the DWNs should know of its existence!

They rushed to the monitors, eyes darting from screen to screen to see who the intruders were and to their surprise, it was the DCNs.

“How did they find this place?” Shadow Man asks, baffled but Quick Man has his eyes on something else. “They don’t seem to be armed.”

“Huh?” The ninja turned his attention back at the intruders and found that Quick Man was right. They don’t seem to be causing any harm, let alone be threatening. So many questions are circulating around his head but one thing is clear; They need to go see them before one of their brothers starts wreaking havoc.

Slinking into the shadows, Shadow Man disappeared, travelling through the darkness before reappearing before the Cossack Numbers. Quick Man was already there, calming down their brothers who were armed and ready to strike. Diverting his attention away from them, he turned back to the arrival of the new robots. One of them, Ring Man, he recalls, steps forward. “We don’t mean any harm, we came to make an alliance.”

… That was unexpected.

Shadow Man wasn’t the only one who’s surprised, all the second and third liners were caught off guard by the detective’s words. However, the look in his eyes tells them that he’s not up for laughs and games.

“And why should we huh?!” Heat Man shouted, launching to attack only to be held back by his brothers. The other one, Skull Man sighs before speaking up, annoyance laced his tone, “We don’t have time for this so let’s just get straight to the point. It turns out that our creator, Dr Cossack isn’t dead, instead he was captured and tortured in every way possible by your creator but then he broke out, stole and upgraded Wily’s robot masters and declared that he will kill Wily. So thanks to these circumstances, we’re here to make a deal; You help us deal with the NCNs, we and Mega Man will stop Dr Cossack before he kills your creator.”

The island went silent once again, all in stunned stillness and silence. Shadow Man couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It should be impossible, Dr Cossack could not be alive, nor was he kept captive and tortured by his creator. His thoughts were not alone, Gemini Man proved to be as such, “Do you expect us to believe you? You’re lying, we haven’t seen Dr Cossack on the island, or in the fortress. If this is true, show us some proof.”

Shadow Man silently agreed with his brother, there’s too much evidence stacked against the claim that Dr Cossack for it to even be true, let alone possible. What he didn’t expect was for Ring Man to confidently shove a piece of paper into his hands, “Here’s your proof.”

Perplexed, Shadow Man glanced at the note, his eyes widening in shock at the familiar handwriting before reading the letter out loud:

“To my fellow 2nd and 3rd liners, if you happened to be reading this letter then what Cossack’s bots said were true. Yes I did take Cossack and held him in captivity, yes I tortured him in more ways than one, yes he was in that basement you weren’t allowed to enter, yes I was really stupid doing such a thing, but it’s in the past I’m willing to fix things. However, I can’t do much since I’m stuck in jail so I need your help boys. You can trust the 4th liners (And maybe Mega Man) for now until this mess is cleaned up. You better not get hurt. Signed, Albert Wily. P.S: Once this mess is over break me out of jail damn it.”

“Yeah, that’s our creator.” Crash Man said ever so bluntly with a nod. The DWNs were conflicted, they never knew that Dr Wily was capable of going this far and never did they expect him to regret something he did. Shadow Man however, can understand Dr Wily’s intentions to fix this. He can see that this was something that cannot be left unchecked, their creator and possibly Dr Cossack’s lives were on the line.

“What do you need us to do?” Quick Man shares his mutual agreement, getting straight to business. Flash Man on the other hand, did not. “What?! We’re going to team up with them?!”

“We don’t really have a choice either way, and Dr Wily’s life is on the line. We have to.” Air Man reasons but before anyone could say another word, an explosion shook the very earth they were standing on.

“AAH!!! Wh-wh-what was t-that?!” Bright Man screamed, clinging onto Dive Man’s leg with shaky hands. Everyone was on guard before a sudden blast caused them all to scatter. Shadow Man’s eyes darted around, trying to find whoever was launching these bombs at them. The culprit was a large, castle-like robot master surrounded by an army of robots of various shapes and sizes, towering above them on top of one of the fortress’s watchtowers.

“HELLO YOU VILE ROBOT MASTERS!!!!!!!” A voice boomed from the big robot. “PREPARE TO MEET YOUR DOOM!!!!!”

The battlefield was chaos, everyone was scattered while robots swarmed them like wasps, mercilessly attacking them. That robot master got them good, Shadow Man would give him that much. He swooped down to grab Drill Man and carry him away from being pelted with bullets, running around like a postman on a bicycle to round up the other robot masters before taking cover behind some nearby debris.

“Damn, this robot’s strong.” Magnet Man grunted, Heat Man was more focused on something else, “Yeah but these bombs are great! Not as good as Crash Bombs but good enough!”

“Never thought I’d say this but where’s Mega Man?! We need his help!” Flash Man growled. Toad Man was quick to explain, “He’s back at Dr Light’s lab! He didn’t come with us since we didn’t want you guys to shoot us before we even have a chance to explain!”

“Fair enough... “ Snake Man muttered right as the debris exploded, launching most of the robot masters back from the blast.

“Found you~” The robot master singsong, lifting a cowering Bright Man up by the neck. “Aren’t you a scared little one? You’ll make some great fireworks or my name isn’t Burst Man.”

“NO!!!” Pharaoh Man screamed, hurling a ball of fire towards Burst Man’s arm, forcing him to drop his brother from shock and back off. Dive Man quickly scooped him up and retreated back, worry hitched his shaky voice, “Are you okay?! Say something!”

“I- I’m fine…” Bright Man stutters which did nothing to assure his brothers. Silent rage radiates from Skull Man as he took down his cloak and gave it to his injured brother before he suddenly commanded, “Ring Man, Shadow Man, Hard Man, Quick Man, Flash Man, you’re coming with me. Dive Man, protect Bright Man and bring those who get injured away from the fight and to safety. The rest of you, deal with the other robots.”

“Hey, we only take orders from Dr Wily!” Spark Man exclaimed angrily, sparks zapping to life on his needles. Skull Man gives him a glare in return, “You want to start this argument and get destroyed or join us and survive to save your creator?”

That was enough to get Shadow Man’s brothers to shut up and obey. Quick Man meanwhile gives a nod to Shadow Man, agreeing with Skull Man’s words. They have to join forces with them or face destruction. “Come on, let's go.”

There was a wordless yet reluctant agreement between the robot masters before they dispersed to get to work. Blasts were fired, scrap metal falls, robots get destroyed. They were more coordinated, reducing Burst Man’s numbers down and down.

However, the biggest problem was Burst Man himself whose strength was on par with Hard Man’s and was a force to be reckoned with. Flash Man tried to use his Time Stopper on him but to his and the others’ horror, the enemy dodged it and shot a bomb at him, violently crashing Flash Man through the fortress’s reinforced walls, successfully knocking him out. Ring Man then sent out his rings to try and restrain him but it proved to be futile as he broke free, grabbed and hammer tossed him at him and Hard Man with such force, they went down like bowling pins. More than half of them were already out and saying that Shadow Man wasn’t horrified at that moment would be the biggest lie ever. Seeing a robot master that wasn’t Mega Man or a DWN this strong was terrifying, and the fact that this was only one of their enemies made it scarier. Thankfully, Skull Man seemed to be a match to Burst Man, assisting Quick Man in tackling him down for a fistfight but he worries that he won’t last long from the way Burst Man bends his brother and ally’s arms in the struggle. Disappearing down into the shadows once more, he positioned himself under Burst Man and striked, his arms shooting out and wrapping around Burst Man’s body, successfully pinning him to the ground. Popping his head out, he screamed, “QUICK MAN!!!”

Skull Man seemed to understand the message and he rolled away right as Quick Man recovered and jumped up, stabbing his boomerang deep into Burst Man’s chest. His scream was what helped the others motivate themselves to finish off the remaining robots. Soon enough, the last robot fell into a clump of metal and smoke, the battle was over.

They won.

“That was actually tough..” Bubble Man muttered, cradling his injured arm and Shadow Man found himself agreeing. Scanning the crowd as he got back up, he can see how damaged his brothers and the 4th liners were; metal was damaged, wires were poking out from injuries while sparks flew all over. Nonetheless, they all helped each other up and repair those in dire need of repairs before moving on towards the more minor injuries. Flash Man was the one who took the most damage and it would take some time before he is back online.

“There is a more pressing matter at hand.” Quick Man pointed out, turning back towards Burst Man. “How did you know where this place is?”

“Heh… Dr Cossack gave me the coordinates… How else?” Burst Man said confidently despite the situation he was in. “I needed to-”

“-Find out which prison the old man is?” A new voice caused everyone to turn their attention to Bass who was holding up a pile of scrap barely resembling whatever remains of that poor robot. “Found this bot in the control room, he was trying to hack and find out where he was so I turned him to scrap.”

It was a diversion, that’s what they all realised. Their stares landed back to Burst Man who was laughing wholeheartedly. “You’re smarter than I thought! Who knew? You may have defeated me, but you’ll never defeat my brothers! Dr Cossack will achieve his revenge!”

“And what will this revenge do for him?!” Ring Man snarled, fists clenched as he leans onto Dive Man for support. “If Dr Wily dies, he would be wanted and labeled as a murderer!”

“So!? The world would be a better place without him!” Burst Man claimed, triggering the DWNs and Bass most of all, causing him to start up his blaster while tossing the scrap aside like a rag doll. “Okay, that’s it. I’m gonna-”

“ENOUGH!!!” Bright Man suddenly boomed, startling everyone into silence. The once timid and cowardly robot master glanced back at Burst Man, sadness and hurt glossed his eyes. “E-even if t-that were the case… People would see Dr Cossack as a bad person.. It w-would hurt him more…”

Burst Man was silent, eyes widening as he watched the eldest DCN gently clasp his hand and continued. “Dr Cossack is family, we all are family… We may have started out wrong, b-but we’re willing to fix it.. Please, let us help… Let us help him…”

Burst Man was in shock, blinking away small droplets of tears before his eyes closed, his voice was small but unwavering. “Go and make it quick.”

“Alrigh-” “I will do it.” Shadow Man interjects, ignoring Bass’s glare. “It’s best if you look away from this 4th liners.”

They nod hesitantly as Bright Man gets picked up by Drill Man as their eyes averted away from the scene. Shadow Man sighs while his brothers backed up to let him do his work, understanding the situation. His shuriken was now in hand, dangling dangerously above Burst Man’s chest.

“Y’know, I still owe Dr Cossack a fireworks show. I promised to show him one.” Burst Man chuckled, but his laughter was empty and hollow. Shadow Man then found himself letting out a small smile, perhaps it’s out of reassurance, he assumes, “I am sure you can show it to him once this is all over.”

He didn’t miss how his hands were trembling as the shuriken dug deep into the metal below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait, things have been hectic but here I feel a little better now. Oh, and a new chapter of On Thin Ice is coming soon! Thank you for your patience and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Ups and Downs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions are unexpected, but ever present and always changing. There are times where it can drag you into a bottomless pit you cannot seemed to crawl out from. To that, sometimes an outside party can help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains depictions of self-harm, so please be careful. If you cannot handle it, then please do not read.

[NCN-051 IS OFFLINE: CRITICAL CONDITION]

That was the message NCN-055 Shade Man dreaded to receive ever since his brother left for Wily's island. They all knew how strong the DWNs are but Burst Man’s happy-go-lucky and confident attitude made everything seem alright.

Oh what fools they were.

He knew that his brothers saw the message as well, but their creator remains as blissful as ever, unaware of what had transpired. Shade Man isn’t the kind of robot to hesitate but when it comes to his dear creator, it’s an exception.

Dr Cossack was like a snowflake; graceful and incredible, but one little touch can shatter him to tiny pieces. They have to be careful when talking about certain things around him. However, Shade Man knew that this cannot be kept a secret. They all knew what they were signing up for when they said they'd join him to kill Wily, they were all prepared to fight and die fighting for him.

That didn’t make the news hurt less though.

How can he break the news to the former scientist and tell him? Shade Man contemplates his choices, every possible path all leads to one, ugly and depressing outcome.

Seeing as how there are no other solutions, he steels himself and takes a deep breath, his exhale catching his creator’s sensitive ears.

“What’s wrong Shade Man?” Dr Cossack asked, noticing the winged bot deep in thought as he tilt his head to the side innocently but Shade Man can see the worry in his eyes. With a pained sigh, he said with masked sorrow, “Burst Man has been defeated, Dr Cossack.”

His core ached as he watched his creator’s face fall, horror slowly but surely taking over his thoughts. His eyes were blank but Shade Man can feel the fear, guilt, anger and grief he was radiating. The vampiric robot master’s sadness soon turned to fear when Dr Cossack suddenly dropped on his knees and started punching the concrete pavement below, screaming at the top of his lungs, “GOD FCKING DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Dr Cossack STOP!!!!” Shade Man was quick to act, kneeling down to hold the trembling human and stop him from hurting himself more than what he already had. “Please! This is not what Burst Man would have wanted!”

“LET ME GO DAMN IT!!!!!!!!! I NEED TO KILL THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! I MUST KILL WHOEVER DESTROYED BURST MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Dr Cossack roared as he struggled to free himself but Shade Man held his grip on him tight. “No! If you go after them, you would be killed! Burst Man knew what he was signing up for when he said he would go to Wily’s main base! It is not worth going after them now, you would be placing yourself in danger! Please Dr Cossack, listen to me!”

Eventually, his creator ceased struggling and swiftly turned around to hug Shade Man, leaning onto his shoulder to muffle his loud and raw cries. With a sigh of relief, the robot master hugged back, rubbing circles on his back. His voice was soft and gentle, something to sooth the human he was hugging, “It will be alright. Once we kill Dr Wily, we can find and repair Burst Man.”

He felt Dr Cossack nod before he soon pulled away and wiped his tears, “Okay… M’sorry.. I said I’d break this habit…”

“Habits are not easy to break Dr Cossack, it takes time but eventually you will stop.” Shade Man assures, giving a pat to the shoulder. “Now, let me see your arm.”

Dr Cossack gave a small nod and stretched out his hand and Shade Man’s imaginary heart broke on the sight of the already busted metal. He cradled it gently, observing every little twitch, spark and dent there is. “Can you move your fingers?”

“Barely…” Dr Cossack said, twitching his fingers as emphasis. Shade Man frowned, “It does not look too serious but we would need to do repairs on it once we return to base. What about your shoulder?”

“Feels like something hard pressed against me… No pains..” He mutters with a half hearted shrug and the bot nods, “That’s better than before. For now, it is best that we-”

“WE ARE THE HOURLY PAY SQUAD: PART-TIMERS!!”

Eight sudden and loud voices are what made the two snap their heads towards a group of robots standing in the most ridiculous poses Shade Man had ever seen. Before he could say anything, he was cut off by sudden, childlike laughter.

The NCN recognized that voice immediately and swiftly turned his attention to the roboticist on his lap, shock took over his programming.

Dr Cossack was laughing, he was genuinely laughing. Never in his life did Shade Man ever live to see the day where he can hear this kind of laughter come out from his creator. Soon, he found himself smiling, brushing his hand through his soft hair like how a mother would do to her sleeping child.

“Y-you guys are funny!” His creator’s laughs soon turn to stifled giggles as he calms down and raises up his walls again, returning to a blank expression. Shade Man frowns, there was the creator he unfortunately knew all too well. However, the yellow robot master with a star motif at the center didn’t seem to notice this sudden shift in behaviour and steps forward before bowing. “Why thank you! We do our best to entertain, now what seems to be troubling you?”

Shade Man instinctively stood up, hands behind his back and wings extended to shield the now wary Dr Cossack, giving his own warning gaze to the robot who dared ask such questions. His guard is up once again, not wanting to trust anyone who could pose a threat to his dear creator yet despite all that, his expression is calm and cool, much like his voice, “I apologise, please allow me to introduce myself… My name is Shade Man, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Ah! Yes, how rude of me not to introduce myself!” The robot said before he bows and gestures towards the other robot masters. “My name is Star Man and these are my brothers, Gravity Man, Wave Man, Stone Man, Gyro Man, Napalm Man and Crystal Man.”

Oh? A line of robot masters, how interesting. They don’t seem to be of any kind of threat but that doesn’t mean that he would let his guard down just like that. His smirk widens, he might as well get some information while he’s at it. “What is it that you want? I doubt you came here and posed for no reason.”

“Oh, that. We heard screaming so we came to check it out and found you two. The human looked really upset so we decided to try and cheer him up.” The green one, Gyro Man explains and Shade Man nearly let out a sigh of frustration. He should have brought Dr Cossack away from here when he had the chance, they’ve been caught. Still, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, it’s not like they know their enemies like that wretched Dr Wily. However, one quick glance at Dr Cossack’s dazed and almost daydreaming expression tells him that there’s no more time to chat. “It seems that we were too loud, my deepest apologies. We will be on our way then.”

“Wait! You don’t have to go!” Star Man yelped rather dramatically, Shade Man ignored him. They don’t have time for this, they need to leave before- Where did that red robot go?

“Hey there, I’m Gravity Man.” Shade Man whips his head around only to see the said red robot standing in front of a startled Dr Cossack despite being a fair distance away from him. How in the world did he snuck past him, he does not know. He tried to move but found himself rooted in place, but he doesn’t know why. He urges himself to move but his body wouldn’t respond, forcing him to watch as Dr Cossack shook nervously under Gravity Man’s gaze yet he can tell that he was about to change gears into something more aggressive real soon.

“Hey, I won’t hurt you. I’m sorry if we scared you.” Gravity Man apologises, making the roboticist cautiously ease up, giving an anxious look that asks if he’s telling the truth. The robot master nods and kneels down, grabbing a balloon in the process before extending his arm out towards him. “Here, do you want a balloon?”

The human looked back at Shade Man with unsure eyes and Shade Man returned a comforting gaze, finally able to move once more. “Do you want it?”

A nod was all he needed to finally walk over and take the balloon from Gravity Man and hand it to Dr Cossack. He heard him give out his thanks to the two of them but Shade Man was focused on something else entirely.

Dr Cossack had a small yet gentle smile on his face, gone were any malice, tiredness or emotionless expressions.

Everything at this moment felt so foriegn to the vampiric robot master, so unusual yet he felt himself welcome it with open arms. There was a spark of warmth in his chest, what was it? Jealousy? Joy? He did not know, but what he does know is that this moment felt right.

“Not a problem, we’re the Part Timers and we’re here to make everyone happy, even those outside the amusement park.” Gravity Man said, which sparked such excitement and curiosity in the human’s eyes, something Shade Man never thought he would ever see on the man’s face as he turned towards him and asked. “Shade Man, they work at an amusement park that’s around here! Can we go? Please?”

Under normal circumstances, Shade Man would have said no but when it comes to Dr Cossack and that expression he’s giving, who was he to deny the long awaited joy his creator deserved? “Sure, we can fix your hand later.”

“Okay, let’s go!” Dr Cossack cheered, grabbing Shade Man by the arm and dragging him along to join up with the so-called ‘Hourly-Pay Squad’. While they were walking, Shade Man opens the NCNs’ personal chat board their creator programmed for them. There were several sets of messages waiting for him, but he scanned through them all.

[NCN-052]: I still can’t believe that our brother is gone…

[NCN-054]: I swear I will hunt down whoever did it and have their metal remains for dinner. Shade can have their oil, I don’t want it.

[NCN-050]: Save me some scraps.

[NCN-053]: I’m still not used to how you three can talk about murder so casually and quickly.

[NCN-050]: Didn’t you say earlier how you wanted to strangle whoever killed Napalm and then launch them up 500ft in the air only for them to crash into a pile of broken metal and then be melted alive and converted into trash cans?

[NCN-053]: I plead the fifth.

[NCN-056]: That just makes you even more guilty.

[NCN-049]: Brothers, no. We are not going on hunts or launching robots up in the sky.  
[NCN-049]: Our primary mission is to find Dr Wily, report back and then kill him.  
[NCN-049]: I understand that you all are upset but we cannot let our brother’s death be in vain, he cut off all communications and connections with us so that we will be safe from being tracked down and died trying to get valuable information to us.  
[NCN-049]: Once we kill Dr Wily, then we can go hunting.  
[NCN-049]: We can even retrieve Burst’s body while we’re at it so that he can be repaired and rejoin us.

Shade Man mentally smiles to himself as he skimmed through his brothers’ texts of agreements. Leave it to their eldest brother to keep them together like glue. It doesn’t seem like he needs to check on his brothers’ wellbeing. He might as well lighten the mood up while he’s here.

[NCN-055]: Everyday I am reminded of how I want to protect Dr Cossack from harm.

[NCN-052]: Every moment I want to protect Dr Cossack from harm and keep him safe too.

[NCN-050]: Okay wait, I know you well enough Shade, what brought this up?

[NCN-055]: Oh how rude to assume such things dear brother.

[NCN-056]: Now I know that something is up, Shade Man what happened?

[NCN-055]: Oh nothing, just admiring Dr Cossack’s cute little smile.

[NCN-054]: WAIT WHAT!?

[NCN-052]: WHEN!?

[NCN-055]: Some amusement park robots came towards us after hearing Dr Cossack scream when he heard of Burst Man’s defeat.  
[NCN-055]: Not only did they make Dr Cossack genuinely laugh with their weird poses, but one of them, a strange, bulky red robot master named Gravity Man gave Dr Cossack a balloon and made him smile.  
[NCN-055]: His smile was the most heartwarming thing I have ever seen.

[NCN-053]: Please tell me you have pictures.

[NCN-055]: Worry not dear brothers, I shall bless you with this image.  
[NCN-055]: [best-smile.png]

[NCN-050]: FCK, that precious smile!

[NCN-052]: My crops have been watered.

[NCN-054]: MY EYES HAVE BEEN BLESSED!!!

[NCN-053]: This is the most purest smile I had ever seen!

[NCN-055]: Dr Cossack and I are going to the amusement park, I will send you the coordinates should we need to be picked up.  
[NCN-055]: Oh, and [NCN-049], report back to base before we arrive back. We need you to do some repairs.

[NCN-049]: Did he hurt himself again?

[NCN-055]: Unfortunately so, he was very distraught but thankfully I stopped him before he hurt himself more.  
[NCN-055]: It is nothing too serious unlike before.  
[NCN-055]: Dr Cossack seemed to be interested in the amusement park, I believe it can help cheer him up.

[NCN-056]: I sure hope so, Asimov above, he needs it.

[NCN-054]: Hey I wanna go too!!!

[NCN-050]: Too bad, we got work to do.

[NCN-049]: Don’t forget to contact us if anything happens okay? We’ll come rushing in to help.

[NCN-055]: Your services are much appreciated but I believe that nothing will happen.

[NCN-053]: Send us videos and pictures Shade!

[NCN-055]: Do not worry, I will.

[NCN-049]: Don’t forget to stick with him and avoid any rides with big crowds, this is definitely a new experience for him so there’s a chance he could feel overwhelmed. If he feels the slightest bit uncomfortable, get him out of there and return home. Don’t let anyone touch him aside from you and please, get him to eat. He hadn’t eaten anything since this morning.

[NCN-055]: Noted, I will be sure to do that, thank you brother.

With that, Shade Man logged off right as they arrived at the amusement park. Dr Cossack wasted no time running off, going left and right, booth to booth with the NCN following behind. Those Part-Timers stationed themselves at certain areas of the park, handling attractions, shops and assisting various humans and robots alike. Shade Man certainly stood out like a sun out in a clear blue sky and could feel stares directed at him but he brushed them off. Speaking of the sun, the weather was certainly bright today, causing him to equip his built-in sunglasses so that his eyes wouldn’t feel like they’re burning alive, a function he was grateful to have implemented into him.

Despite the hot weather, Shade Man found himself getting entangled to join in on the fun whether it be becoming nearly dizzy on the Spinning Cups, suppressing his screams for his dear life on the rollercoaster or simply sitting down and enjoying a plate of hot piping Yakisoba to which thank goodness his creator ate. He normally wouldn’t have partake in such things but upon seeing Dr Cossack this happy, he couldn’t help but smile and go along with him. He will also forever deny that he actually enjoyed the attractions.

There were instances however when the NCN had to lead him out of huge crowds and away from people as well as taking him to the side to stop him from punching an innocent bystander or two who had brushed past his shoulder far too many times. However, those robot masters from before always show up whenever Dr Cossack feels discomfort or anxious, talking to him and asking questions about his experience with the amusement park without crossing the line. It was almost unnoticeable but Shade Man can see his creator slowly but surely trust them. Once he calmed down, they suggest attractions to go to that don’t have large crowds which Shade Man is very grateful for.

Time seemed irrelevant but eventually they had to leave and somehow Shade Man found himself carrying a paper bag of food they bought from the food booths while Dr Cossack was holding some cotton candy on one hand and the balloon Gravity Man gave him tied to his wrist. On his back was a bag they bought from the Souvenir shop to carry all the toys and plushies Dr Cossack won, though a few were too big to be stuffed in his bag so Shade Man had no choice but to carry them for him.

“Did you enjoy yourself Dr Cossack?” Shade Man asked and smiled when his creator nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! It was so fun and we should bring your brothers along next time we come here!”

“Oh, how kind of you Dr Cossack but you do not have to do that for us.” Shade Man brushed off but what his creator said next stunned him, “Yes I do! You’re all my sons, you deserve it! Plus you were having fun too! And once we find and repair Burst Man, we can go back here when there’s a smaller crowd of people!”

For the first time in his life, Shade Man was speechless. He never saw or heard Dr Cossack wanting to go outside of the base. It took a long time before he and his brothers were finally able to persuade him to go outside so long as someone came with him and yet here he was, talking about wanting to go back to this amusement park. It was surreal, but Shade Man saw this as progress for his creator’s mental wellbeing, this was good. He’s recovering. It may not be big but he was more than willing to accept it nonetheless. Not to mention that being called Dr Cossack’s son sounds great to Shade Man’s audio sensors and makes him feel warm and happy inside. They were his family, his sons, and they will protect them and live through the battles for their creator- no. For their father.

“Alright then, after everything is over, we will search and repair Burst Man before coming back here.” Shade Man promised and he intends to keep it. Dr Cossack nods and smiles before noticing Star Man and Gravity Man waving goodbye at them. With a cheerful smile, he waves back, “Bye!”

Shade Man would never admit to waving back at them as well before he left with Dr Cossack.

“Bye!~ We hope to see you again soon!~” Star Man singsongs, enthusiastically waving as he watched the man with prosthetics and the vampire robot Shade Man leave. When he and his brothers heard that loud scream, they didn’t expect to find a human with prosthetic limbs being cradled by a very classy vampire robot master. Needless to say at that moment, they all reached an agreement; they need to make this customer happy.

The robot master, Shade Man was his name, was very cautious of them approaching them or specifically, the human. Star Man had served plenty of different customers before but he was the most confusing customer he ever met. His behaviour, avoidance of crowds and sudden shifts in mood swings are very concerning, Star Man briefly shudders at the memory when the human suddenly went mad and dented the metal bottle with just one throw. Regardless, they managed to adapt and help their customers which made seeing them enjoying themselves all the more heartwarming and worth it.

“It’s a shame everyone else couldn’t see them off, but I’m glad we’re lucky to do so.” Gravity Man said as they turned and began to walk back. Star Man nods, “I couldn’t have agreed more!~”

As they went back and rejoined their brothers, they soon found themselves in the presence of Shadow Man on the communicator. That’s strange, why was he calling them? Did they break Dr Wily out of jail already?

“What’s wrong, Shadow Man? Why are you calling us?” Crystal Man asked and the ninja robot master was quick to give the rundown. “We are informed that Dr Cossack is in fact alive and has his sights set on killing Dr Wily. I will send you more details on this matter soon, however, there are a few important things that you need to know.”

The brothers exchanged worried and confused glances, they didn't know a lot about the scientist himself aside from how he died during his citadel’s collapse. But now he’s alive and wants to kill Dr Wily? Why? Shadow Man seemed to have sensed their questions and explained, “I understand that you want answers but we don’t have enough time now. Dr Cossack’s forces are already searching for the prison Dr Wily is being held at. As I said earlier, I will send more details on this soon.”

“You mentioned that there are a few things we need to know right?” Stone Man asked, Wave Man nods in agreement, “Yeah, what are they?”

“The first are Dr Cossack’s forces, they are a line of robot masters known as the New Cossack Numbers and are very strong. Even us DWNs and the DCNs struggled to defeat one of them when he ambushed us.” Shadow Man explained and Star Man couldn’t help but gulp nervously. To hear that Dr Wily’s army struggled to take down just one robot master was chilling and speaks volumes on their enemy. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if all eight of the New Cossack Numbers attacked them at once.

“Have you tried using the Robot Master to track down Dr Cossack?” Napalm Man asked but the third liner shook his head. “I’m afraid not, as soon as he went offline, his communications and trackers were severed and shut down permanently. We cannot find them and they cannot find their fallen comrade as a result.”

“They certainly thought this through..” Star Man commented nervously, mentally pushing out the angry thoughts forming in his head raging on how could someone abandon their own ally and the counter thoughts saying that it was for the others’ safety. Shadow Man sighs in agreement before continuing. “The second thing to know is that we have formed an alliance with the DCNs and DLNs, we received permission from Dr Wily to do so and it will certainly help us combat the NCNs.”

Charge Man raised a hand, “I understand why you would team up with the DCNs since their creator is trying to kill ours but why the DLNs?”

“We need their firepower and Mega Man.” Was all he said, rendering the Fifth liners shocked. To ask their sole enemy for help certainly says a lot on who they’re dealing with. Seeing as how they have no other questions, Shadow Man continued, “Thirdly, Dr Cossack’s appearance has changed during the time he was gone, the most notable change being how his arms and legs were exchanged for metal prosthetics.”

Immediately after he said that, the temperature of the room dropped cold, Star Man could feel himself and his brothers turning pale as the realization drew in. No, he couldn’t have been-

“Ring Man drew a sketch of him and this is where you come in. We need you to look for Dr Cossack; here is how he looks like now.” Time seemed to slow down as Shadow Man showed the sketch. Star Man was trembling, unable to speak as his mind clashed with many emotions and thoughts, his brothers were in the same situation as him.

It was him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a lot of things happening, but I am currently working through it all. I hope to update more soon, and there are some ideas I have in store later down the line. Please tell me what you think of this chapter, I hope you enjoyed reading it

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written by Sousu/Clus and I, thank you for reading and please leave comments down below if there’s any way you wish for us to improve upon.


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